Sunday 21 August 2016

The Australian National Curriculum (ANC)

I've just spent considerable time perusing the ANC (Version 8.2.  It is in my view a great curriculum which provides the details across the range of subjects that teachers will welcome.  I would love to be back in harness implementing this curriculum as a teacher and as a principal.

I realise that you will be implementing the version of the ANC that has adjustments made by your State or Territory as compulsory education is constitutionally a State or Territory matter in Australia.

Included in the detail F-10 and Senior Secondary are well explained achievement levels which will assist teachers to rate student performance and inform the structure of student reports.

The links from the general subject outlines to the underlying detail are excellent.

As a Principal I would be organising for my teachers to have ample time to get together to discuss the ANC in detail so that they are all on the same page when it comes to implementation.  In a large primary school I would group the teachers of say the year 4 classes together; in a smaller primary school the groupings could be teachers of F-2, 3-4, 5-6.  For very small primary schools I recommend the taking on of a mentor large primary school and utilising the results of their discussions or joining in with their discussions.  For secondary schools discussions would be arranged within specialist subject departments.  This is a also a standards setting exercise opportunity as discussion covers Achievement Levels as outlined in the various syllabuses.

Depending on how far you have moved in implementing ANC version 7.5 you may have to go slowly to guide your teachers as they transition to version 8.2.  It is unfortunate that there is a change to version 8.2 but this is the way with major curriculum developments.  Let's hope that this is it for the time being.

To all my colleagues out there enjoy working with this exciting document.

Enough already!


GD

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